You can't make everyone happy
by Gura Kruor
Summary: In the Foggy Swamp lived two children, both of them were the product of boiling water and frozen fire. They wanted to fulfil their parents expectations and met while trying to do so. Updated every sunday at night.
1. The encounter of two worlds

**Disclaimer: **The following is a non profit fanfic. I don't own Avatar the Legend of Aang nor Legend of Korra for they are property of Nickelodeon and Michael Dante DiMartino, Brian Konietzko and Aaron Ehasz. Please support the official release.

This is my third fic and again it is not from a previous fandom used by me. This story had been lurking in the corners of my mind since the first season of Legend of Korra ended... to be honest, when Tahno appeared there I wanted to write a fic but I waited for the end of the season to not make foolish mistakes.

As you know my native language is Spanish, so if something sounds strange is because of that. I made the characters to speak in a Cajun-like manner because according to the wikia the people of the swamp talked like the people from the Mississippi Delta. I watched the original series in latinamerican dub so that's the reason of it being inaccurate.

This is product of a Sunday without internet a lot of spare time and a hyperactive mind so this might be really silly.

**The encounter of two worlds**

This is the tale of two children; both of them were from the Water Tribe and both of them wanted to fulfil their parents' expectations.

The older one was from the people of the swamps, his father was a rich man thanks for his wife family. The name of this child was Tahno.

They lived in a town called "White Falls", the only years he remembers to be happy were the ones spent at his mother side, she was a woman from the Fire Nation and was warm as the element she controlled. His looks were inherited from her, from the fair skin to the wavy black hair and the same was for his delicate features.

They were the perfect portrait of a family; a devoted husband who was the commander of the local police force, a beautiful wife who took care of her family and a happy son who loved both from the bottom of his heart.

But all changed the day a strange illness struck his mother.

First, her skin became hard and wrinkled as if it were made of paper and after that a strong fever plagued her for months. Even after calling a waterbender healer she didn't showed a change in her health for the water that touched her skin evaporated immediately.

And so, one day her body produced a small fire that she couldn't control and it engulfed her consuming her body. Nobody could extinguish the flames and this way, a firebender was burned to the bone by the element she used to tame. All this happened in front of her son's eyes and said event would mark his life forever.

The day Haruka died was the last time Ziktadukta laughed from the bottom of his heart and the same happened to Tahno, whom world became narrow and dark. He lost his mother at the tender age of six and his father buried himself in the bitter arms of liquor and gambling.

The fortune of her mother was taken by her relatives because of his shameful behaviour along with his fancy title and now they were in debt with almost every bank of the Foggy Swamp.

When this boy discovered his waterbending abilities his father was really proud, there hadn't been a bender in their family for almost a century. The last one had fought in the Hundred Years War but couldn't return alive from the last battle against the Fire Nation; when he died, the techniques of their family did the same.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/

In the Northern Pole Water Tribe lived a woman, she knew the ways of a healer and was the owner of a school to teach her techniques.

One day, after returning from a hunt, she found a man buried in the snow. Looking at his features, she knew that he was from the Fire Nation. She healed him and with the help of the hunters that were with her, she carried him to the closest police station.

Said man was interrogated by the military police, he told them that his ship sunk in the sea after a big storm and he was the only survivor. After a week the pieces of his ship drifted to the shore and with them some bodies of the crew.

He couldn't return to his homeland until another ship was available, but it was the time for the storm season and so he was stuck in that foreign land. The healer offered him shelter in her home, with her family and he accepted. For the mere time they spent together she fell in love with him and both consumed their love.

But when he was needed the most, he vanished. That night he left her two gifts: his pendant and their child.

She was pregnant and soon it became impossible to hide it; her family disowned her and expelled her from their tribal land. Her only choice was to take the money of her school and leave the North Pole; her destination was the house of another relative who had been eraser from the family book like her, he lived in a place far away from her home called "White Falls" and was a very well known waterbending teacher.

He welcomed her with open arms and there she gave birth to the product of her short love, a child she decided to name 'Iwatake' for its meaning was 'snake' in the old language of the water tribe and that was the crest in the memento of the father of her child.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/

Eight years have passed since the healer Pahukumaa, arrived to the south and now, along her uncle, she teaches again the ways of a healer; and four years have passed after the strange death of the female firebender.

Tahno's father decision for his son to learn waterbending techniques in a particular school surprised him a little, they were poor and even he had to leave his school to work at a drugstore, both pay for their modest life style and his father addiction. He was happy for having his father interest focused in him and not in a bet table of a pub only if it were just for a moment.

The school for waterbenders of the old Mowanza wasn't one of the most renowned in the Foggy Swamp lands, in fact it was all the contrary but after his niece moved to the area many good healers were now part of the pride of the institute.

The place seemed to be like any building but with a sign indicating that it was a school. Tahno arrived with his father, who took him by the hand and was in a hurry to leaving him there, he carried a bag with part of their savings.

"It seems dat for the first time Lady Luck is starting to look at our side, don't you tink son?" the voice of his father was soft and full of optimism.

"Ah hope to fulfil your expectations, father" the boy answered almost automatically, sometimes his father busted into wrath without an apparent reason so he learned to be a passive person.

Both of them had modest clothes and were the ones a fisher man would wear for it was the job of his father. Their pants were tied in their knees, their robes had no sleeves and they wore only sandals; the predominant colour of their attire was dry green and almost brown because the cloth was already old and decolorized.

They were quite a sight, a local man with a boy who everyone could think was from the Fire Nation ─if not for his eyes─ with elegant features, and both were so poor that the appearance of this boy paled for his garments.

The whispers of the people were always almost the same: _"Maybe his wife cheated on him" "Ah don't think so; she was a rich woman from the Fire Nation so he took her mother features, after she died her husband sunk in alcohol and gambling debts" _

_"Ah remember dat he was the former commander of the police, who would have thought dat a man of the law could fall so down" "What a shame for a beautiful boy to be born in a disgraceful house, he will grow up to become a gigolo"_

Even if Thano didn't understood half of the things they said about them, he wanted them to stop the rumours. He knew that his father held his tongue and fists for it might cost him his job but that was what he wanted to change, the pain of his father inflicted by these people.

When they entered, the Northern Tribe style received them. Tahno was amazed; it was decorated with fountains and many fish tanks, in the walls were hanging some animal fur with paintings in them. The essence of water was emanating from that place as if it were made of ice.

"Welcome to the school of Mowanza the waterbender, what brings you here?" asked a woman who seemed to be a receptionist.

"Ah'm here to inscribe my son to dis school, where should Ah go to make it official?" the man moved the sack with metallic coins to make evident that he had money to pay for their services.

"Please follow me to this direction," she bowed a little and guided him to his destination.

"Tahno, sit over dere Ah'll be back in a moment," the man pointed to sofa in a corner and his son sat there.

The young waterbender waited for his father in the lobby but soon he started to wander around the place. He was a curious boy by nature, his childish adventures by challenging his parents and escaping to the centre of the town ended some years ago but this place was really interesting. He blended with a group of children that seemed to been entering to a class so he 'took' his place in the classroom.

_Maybe this way Ah'll actually see how a waterbender controls water. _He had never seen a bender of any kind in real life only by the transmissions from Republic City TV of the Pro-Bending match celebrated there.

His new state as one of them was still a mystery for the only hint of him being a bender was that a thief's feet were stuck in ice the exact moment he was trying to stop him from robbing a bottle of sake, after that his tea could be freeze before he knew it to the point of becoming almost a Popsicle. Said signals ─unusually enough─ weren't ignored by his father; that day his eyes shinned for pride, or that was what Tahno believed.

The class started and he ran to the last row behind a tall lad securing that he couldn't be seen by the teacher in the front. Their instructor was an old man; his attire screamed that he was from the North and so his movements. They were fluid and elegant, as if he were the embodiment of grace itself.

The new waterbender started to imitate his movements without daring to control the water that was put in the recipient in front of him, he wasn't really secure about his abilities and if some kind of accident happened, his charade would be discovered. He was starting to take the rhythm the man wanted them to have when something or better said, somebody cached his attention.

"Are ya new here? Ah haven't seen ya before," a deep childish voice talked at his right side.

_Oh crap! _Tahno stopped his movements and turned slowly to see the person who spoke to him.

He found them to be a child younger than him with a big grin without some teeth, amber eyes and dark skin; his head had the sides almost shaved and his black hair in the top was tied in the same manner of the man in the front, which he supposed to be a traditional hairdo of the northern people. The unknown child was almost the same height of him if not even slightly taller; his attire was almost the same of the teacher with the only difference of his robe not having the sleeves and his pants having a style alike of his own.

"Sorry for interrupting ya, it wasn't my intention, uncle always scolds me for bothering his students," this sounded like a rushed apology, for his voice was almost a whisper to not catch the attention of the old man.

"Yeah, Ah'm new, "Tahno answered with a white lie; after all he was going to be the new student of this man "My name is Thano,"he offered his hand to the child.

"Nice to meet ya Tahno, Ah'm Iwatake," they shacked hands and smiled for a while before the others stopped to move, indicating that the next move was going to be taught.

In this simple way the lives of both children collided...

* * *

I know this chapter seemed to be really rushed out and that it came almost out of the blue so, for the people who had been waiting for the next chapter of Boku wa on'nanoko! or the second one of Lignaggio di un Fratello: Scommettere la Vita I am deeply sorry but I wouldn't resist the temptation of writing a story about Tahno uxu

Reviewing had never hurt anyone, so I'll be glad if anybody leaves even their torches in the comments.

Posted: 10/20/2013


	2. The waterbending master

**Disclaimer:**The following is a non profit fanfic. I don't own Avatar the Legend of Aang nor Legend of Korra for they are property of Nickelodeon, Michael Dante DiMartino, Brian Konietzko and Aaron Ehasz. Please support the official release.

**The waterbending master**

Some days after his first visit to the Waterbending School, Tahno had been accepted as a student of Master Mowanza. They had to check if his father could pay for his fee; many times a person could get into the school and after the first payment was behind the corner, they could left assisting to the classes.

He entered to the classes for beginners; most of his classmates were grown men, it was said that this was the only school to teach you from the basics even if you were an old man.

"Welcome to your first class of waterbending for beginners; I am master Mowanza and from today on you will call me like that,"said the old man that was teaching the first time Tahno visited the building.

"First of all, I am not here to be your counsellor or moral guide, so any problem you have in your life just leave it out of the dojo, " he pointed to the door with his thumb.

"A waterbender's power comes from their internal life energy. Their power is connected to his or her present emotional state. If an inexperienced waterbender like all of you were to lose his or her temper, their waterbending force is intensified, but in turn, control is lost," he stated this with a serious voice tone "And all of us know that we don't want an accident caused for your inexperience so, if you feel that you can't just forget your life here, then don't attend to the class there won't be a problem more than loosing a lesion you paid for," he waited for an answer and his students just nodded in agreement of his policy.

"With that stated, please use the badge the miss is going to give you"

A woman entered the room and had some badges which she handed to the students. They attached them to their clothes with a safety pin. The teacher thanked her and she left.

"Let's begin with our first class,"the old man clapped to attract the attention of his students. They quickly straightened their backs and paid attention to the man.

"Water is a dual element, for a moment it can fade your thirst and the next it could drown you ending that way with your life. The same happens with waterbending, whose strength was its great versatility. "

The old man made a calm movement with a round pattern and abruptly, he broke a vase with a water whip. The children who were attending looked at it with amazement and even the adults too, all of them clapped to the display of their teacher.

Tahno was in the middle of the classroom; in front of him was a tall and bulky man so, he had to crouch to actually watch the class. From his field of vision, he could see that behind his master, there was the child he met when he entered stealthily in his first visit.

Said child was crouching too, behind a folding screen with northern tribe patterns; and when he noted Tahno's gaze, he grinned while putting a finger in his lips, indicating him that he didn't wanted to be discovered.

_What a weird person, he said that master Mowanza was his uncle, yet he doesn't want to be actively in his class. _Tahno wondered what could be the reason behind this person behaviour but was quickly scolded by his teacher.

"Number five, what are you doing?" the old man was crossing his arms and frowning.

Thano stood up and straightened his back "Nothing sir, Ah was paying attention to the class, but dis man is between my field of vision, "he said it trying to take his attention from the child behind the paper wall.

"Number one, go in the back; nine go to five's place and five goes to one's position," they moved to where he told them.*

Once the waterbender boy moved to the front line, he noted something that he hadn't noted before; in front of them there was no water recipient like in the other class. The only recipient was in front of his teacher feet.

"Well, interruption aside, the first thing you must master are the movements. I won't teach you with water until you master the movements of your body; usually it will take you more than a week to achieve it so don't desperate and persevere. "

They were emulating the movements of his teacher for hours, with small interludes and it was to grab some water from their backpacks to quench their thirst. Most of the movements were focused in relaxing the body.

After they ended the training, he ordered them to clean the dojo under a "Cleanliness is a part of the responsibility of the students. It is a discipline. No one should not participate in the cleaning duties."

He told them that they had no janitor in the building and that the cleaning of it was up to the users of the place. Even he cleaned and maintained in good condition the dojo.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/

All the students were now in the lockers taking off their dampen clothes and packing their belongings. When Thano was leaving the building, he got a glimpse of Iwatake, who was now in the classroom imitating the movements of the teacher all by himself.

Today was the free day of the waterbending boy, so he decided that he would start the chat between them. The first time they met was during a class of master Mowanza and there he learned that the movements he was teaching were actually effective, after the session ended he lost track of this child and decided to go home.

"Heya, howya doin?" the child stopped his training and turned to see the boy.

"Tahno, ah thought that you were already out the building, do you wanna train with me?"the child asked with an amiable voice tone and indicated him to enter the room.

"Ah don't tink so, Mr. Lau is gonna get angry if ah am late for my shift in the drugstore. But ah have a question for you," he said it directly and without a flinch.

"Shoot it, pretty boy" the child made a pistol-like movement with the fingers.

_Ah don't like to be called like dat and less for a boy. _The boy had a disgusted expression in the face and said: "Why aren't you in your uncle class? You were hiding back dere," the waterbender boy pointed to the folding screen "If he is such a great teacher you surely are the most skilled among us so, being in the class is useless for you, isn't it?"

The look of Iwatake saddened a little and after sighing he answered: "Ah am not a waterbender, uncle is a master of waterbending and even mom is a healing master. But ah love how he moves, and when ah move like him it just feels right," the voice of the child was enthusiast but couldn't hide the longing behind them.

"Oh," the boy didn't knew what to say _'Sorry for your loss', 'Maybe it hasn't awakened yet' or 'Being a bender isn't all in the world, nor such a big deal.'_

"Maybe you took after your father," was all what he could manage to say.

"Indeed, ah took after my father or dat's what ah want to tink."

_Safe, ah must not ask embarrassing questions again. _The lack of tact of the boy was one of his worst traits.

"Ah must leave, Mr. Lau is waiting for me," the boy started to walk away while pointing to the exit.

"Take care," Iwatake waved at him and had a smile in the lips yet he was frowning a little.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/

Almost a month has passed since the first training session in Mowanza's school yet nobody had passed to the real waterbending class. The students were cleaning the dojo.

"Discipline," one of the students said with a mocking tone "He is just stingy. We pay him for his services and he just made us move like a mime!" he thrown a rag inside a bucket angrily.

"Yeah, Ah bet that he doesn't have a method to teach, the next week Ah won't be here to clean the mess of other people,"said another.

_And dey call themselves adults? What a rotten person is the one who talks behind another. _The waterbender boy acted as if he hadn't heard anything of their chat and continued to clean the floor with a cloth.

"Dude,"said the bulky man that was in front of Tahno at first "Don't talk shit of the master, he is the cheapest of the area and the only one who has the patience to teach from the beginning to grown men like us."

"And dat's what angers me the most, we are adults and we are treated like children," the first man who complained pointed in Tahno's direction.

"But we need to know the basics," answered the bulky man "Furthermore, didn't dey tell you dat when you came the first time?"

"Ah will tell him dat ah wanna a change of class of the refund of my money,"said the first man.

"Do it and tell us what happened,"said the second one.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Tahno was leaving the building when he spotted a crowd in one of the classrooms. They were in the door and shouting at somebody.

"Where is your confidence now?" said one of them.

"Dat happens when you want to complaint against Mowanza's teachings!" shouted a teenager girl.

_Just keep your way and not pay attention to them. _Tahno had to resist the temptation to look what was happening for he had to arrive to his job quickly, his boss didn't liked when people was late to their appointments.

"Hi dere," the boy turned to see Iwatake near a wall.

"Hi, Iwatake," he started to walk slowly to the entrance but was stopped by said child.

"Come here, you won't wish to miss dis fight,"the child dragged Tahno by the hand to a door and opening a loose board of the wall, entered to the room and closed it.

"You know, Ah need to get to my job or father is going to be angry at me,"complained the waterbender boy but couldn't do anything for he was already behind the folding screen used by his companion as a hideout previously.

"Don't worry, Ah'll walk you dere after the fight ends,"the child crouched and watched the dojo "Come here, the best part is going to start," the child called Tahno with the hand and he crouched too.

"Dat man, he was the one who complained before!" said the waterbender boy.

"So you where dere? Ah only know dat he stared to insult my uncle and then challenged him to a waterbending fight, the old man agreed,"the voice of the child was almost a whisper but could be understood by the boy.

"Seriously? Ah thought dat he was so coward to even ask him to change him to another class. "

"Shh,"the child put a finger in the boy's lips to mute him.

"Do ya tink dat Ah'll be soft with ya for being an old man?!" shouted the challenging man.

Both men were fighting with the water that was inside two pots. The strategy of the teacher was only to dodge the attacks of the young man. The man who complained was now launching some water whips to the northern old man.

"Not bad, not bad, but you lack experience and technique!" the teacher took the water launched at him to redirect it to his opponent in shape of a fog that engulfed him.

The next moment, all the youngster knew was that he was hitting a wall thanks to an ice covered punch from his teacher.

"Let's stop this before you get hurt," the man offered his hand to his challenger to lift him up, which he took and tried to freeze it in a tricky move.

The water that was an ice punch before was now a deadly set of ice claws that were pointing to the throat of the tricky man "You have a thousand years left to actually make a fool of me, now leave the building before I get serious."

_Ah've seen dese movements in the TV before. _The mind of Tahno wandered

The young man squealed in terror, he had been defeated in no more than a minute and the old man wasn't even sweating. He left the building at once and never returned even if he had a deposit to claim there.

When the other students left the room, the teacher spoke: "Get out of the folding screen, kiddo."

"You found me, uncle," the child got out from the paper wall.

"And you too, number five, did you thought that I was so stupid to not notice you even the first time you sneaked in to one of my classes?" he was serious but not angry.

"Sorry for spying in your class, sir, it won't happen again," Tahno seemed to be ashamed of his behaviour and didn't dare to look at the man to the face.

"Don't worry, I will take that day as your free class, furthermore Iwatake seems to be friendly with you."

Tahno was surprised by the old man's words; he was clenching his teeth because he thought that he might be slapped or something like that, as his father usually does when he gets angry. Yet, the man only touched his nephew head and smiled.

"Ah don't want to be rude, sir, but ak must take my leave," the boy bowed and left the room.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/

After a while he was running in the streets, and then he heard some hard steps behind him.

"Heya again!" saluted Iwatake with a careless voice.

"How did ya catch me and what are ya doin' here anyways?" the boy asked a little rushed.

"Uncle sent me to buy the dinner, then ah remembered dat you mentiones a Mr. Lau as your boss which, by the way, is the owner of the place uncle sent me; he said dat dere was the best dryed sea prunes in the town," the child kept his pace with the boy which wasn't difficult for they were almost the same height.

"Well, it is not that impressive but it tastes fine," they were now close to the shop and were slowing their pace.

In front of the drugstore was a truck discharging some boxes, the style of the place shouted "Earth Kingdom" in every aspect; from his green coloured walls to the brown lamps made of paper.

"Tahno, you are late, father is gonna be angry with you," said a lad with brown hair, tanned skin and gray eyes.

"Ah know dat already, Ming, but this nut brained is the one to blame, tell him all your complaints and let me do my job," answered the waterbender while knotting an apron and walking to the boxes.

"Tahno, you are again late!" shouted an adult version of the lad.

"Ah am sorry Mr. Lau, it won't happen again; ah was stuck at the school making some chores," the waterbender knew that it was the worst excuse, him attending to that place wasn't obligatory to begin with and his boss had told him the same many times.

"You must stay until night for the inventory; that's your punishment," said his boss before leaving the shop.

"Hey pretty boy, sorry for getting you into trouble,"the child tried to apologize but was stuck with an icy-cold gaze.

"Just take your groceries and leave, please" the boy was furious, he was going to be late at home and maybe his father was going to be drunk around that hour.

"Fine... then ah want four bags of dryed sea prunes and one bag of jasmine tea," the child was speaking shyly, he was walking over very thin ice.

Thano searched for the items and after putting them in a paper bag, handed them to his client "It's going to be 50 yuans," he extended his hand asking for the money.

"You didn't have to be rude, take,"the child paid for the items and took the bag.

"Ah will be getting at home almost at midnight for you, you have no right to ask for politeness," the waterbender was pouting.

"Ah swear dat it won't happen again,"there was guilt behind the child's voice.

"Good to hear it now leave, your uncle is gonna be angry if you slack," said playfully the waterbender.

"You have the mouth full of truth, if you don't want to go home alone, ah'll be here when your shift ends," offered the child.

"Ah don't need that a non-bender younger than me takes me home, furthermore your uncle is going to be angry like a dragon if you were out that late in the night," said the boy.

"Ah have one of two tricks under the sleeve, don't take me like a fool," the child blinked and walked backwards to the exit.

"Don't be silly and leave right now!" shouted the boy while moving the hands indicating him to go out.

"Se ya tomorrow, pretty boy!" Iwatake ran to the door and left the store.

"Stop calling me like dat, you nut brained!" Tahno was waving angrily his first in the child's direction.

* * *

Well, this was the second chapter and I am surprised that I have it almost a week after the first one, usually it takes me eons to have inspiration to write for the story always is already complete in my mind.

Like always, thank you for reading it and please leave a review; even torches are welcomed.

Se ya until next Sunday!

*They were arranged like this

01 02 03 04

05 06 07 08

09 10 11 12

And now they are like this

05 02 03 04

09 06 07 08

01 10 11 12

Posted: 10/28/2013


	3. The earthbender of the drugstore

**Disclaimer:**The following is a non profit fanfic. I don't own Avatar the Legend of Aang nor Legend of Korra for they are property of Nickelodeon, Michael Dante DiMartino, Brian Konietzko and Aaron Ehasz. Please support the official release.

**The earthbender of the drugstore**

After an hour, both boys had the boxes inside the warehouse and were now classify them according to the items inside them.

"Dude, you are in deep shit with dat kid," said the son of the owner of the shop.

"Ah know, but he seems to want some kind of friendship with me and his uncle is my teacher so ah can't be rude with him nor brush him out," the waterbender was helping with some boxes.

"Ah am not saying it for his behaviour but for something different," the lad went closer to Tahno.

"Ah've known him for two years and ah never seen the father, it is stupid for no man is obligated to bring his child to a shop but nobody has heard about dat man. Father told me dat the mom is a single woman who came from the north and was already pregnant when arriving here."

"You're over thinking it, maybe he died before knowing his child," the boy put a box above another and checked the existence of the box in a paper sheet.

"But she has no engagement necklace, as a water tribe person you should know that in the north the traditions are more strict. They give necklaces to the women and even if the husband is dead they can't take them off for dat would mean dat the woman is breaking her promise to marry only one man."

"Ming, as you know my mother was from the Fire Nation and my father is from the Foggy Swamp so these fancy traditions are unknown to me. But if are you trying to tell me something say it clearly and with no rodeos."

"Well, direct to the point as always, you should've been born in an Earth Nation family. Fine, what ah am trying to say is dat the mother has no husband and never had one before. Dat woman surely lives in licentiousness so be careful with your father, he is a widower and if you deepen your relationship with dat child maybe the probability for dat woman to enter to your life and maybe take your father with her is high."

"May the spirits hear ya, Ming maybe if he has another woman in his life he will stop drinking and betting," he looked to the lad.

"Are you kidding me Tahno?" the lad couldn't believe in his words.

"It was a joke, of course dat no woman is going to be interested in my father for he is a useless drunkard and bet addict. If dat woman tries to be with him then ah will know from where Iwatake took his stupidity." With that, the discussion was closed and both children returned to their chores.

It wasn't strange for the two to mention the traditions of the northern water tribe, Ming's mother was from that place and for that reason he had tanned skin and gray eyes. She was a very traditional woman and for Tahno her marrying a man from the Earth Kingdom was something a person from the north can't allow for the arranged weddings and all.

He had met her two or three times and he didn't liked her for she seemed to not see his father with good eyes; she knew about his past and as a fellow tribe she had pointed that he was a shame for every person of their kind even if they were from the swamp. So, the politeness for this woman that was going to come from Tahno was out of courtesy and not for good will.

It was kind of sad because he respected Mr. Lau and thought of Ming as a friend, his only friend in the world after the events that threw them, his father and him, out of the circle of pampered people. The few 'friends' he had before are now spoiled brats that he couldn't befriend for his social position and because he ceased to want to be with them.

"Ah have to go home, homework can't co itself," Ming cleaned his hands and ran to the back door that leaded to his house.

"Have fun," said playfully the waterbender.

The boy felt nostalgic, he didn't missed to be in school with his so called friends, and he missed to learn new things there. He had bought four of five books hidden from his father for he surely could sell them for liquor.

In his early years, Tahno's mother taught him to read and since the tender age of three he hasn't stopped to do it in daily basis, even if he was tired from his job or beaten up by his father, these sheets where his only escape to new worlds full of knowledge.

His favourite subject back in school was history, most of the children hated her but he had learned to treasure her. Ancient history was the best for him and the most interesting part where the tales of how the Avatar, at the tender age of thirteen, had defeated the Fire Nation. Said event was something he had wanted to see with his own eyes, even if it meant that he could be one of the fire people.

Tahno kept daydreaming for a while before noticing a bunch of people making a ruckus outside the store. The boy went to the door, broom in hand just in case, and observed the scene:

There were four men cornering an old man in the alley, he had a cart full of bells of various kinds. They were shouting at him: "Give us the money of you treasure your life!" pointing at him with their knives.

The poor man took a sack from his clothes and gave it to them while shacking "Take it, just leave me alone," some coins fell to the ground and that angered the men.

"Did you think dat we were going to leave you go so easily? You should have more money," said the leader while pointing him to the eye with the blade.

"Ah don't have more, dis is all what ah have, "the man started to cry and sweat.

Tahno was a silent observer; he was biting his lip to the point of cutting his own skin while clenching the broomstick and trembling of pure anger. Through the years he had learned that interfering in a fight was something just a fool could do, after all it wasn't his problem and he could attract the rage of these men, blending with the other people was the wisest thing to do.

Then a rock clashed with the head of the man with the knife and launched him to the closest wall which made him cut part of his head.

"Who has the guts to mess with me?!" the man was bleeding from the cut in his head but that didn't calmed his fury. His henchmen were helping him to stand up and the man in the cart took the chance to run away.

"Ah do!" a familiar voice echoed in Tahno's ears so he turned his gaze and found Ming at his side with a rock in his hand and a cocky smile in the lips.

"The hell are you thinking?!" shouted the boy while trying to be away from his friend.

"Dat's my line, why aren't you helping dat man? Ah thought dat you were going to do something and for dat reason ah was just observing but you disappoint me Tahno."

The lad moved his feet and opted for a pose with one hand in front of him and the other next to his left side, as if he was preparing to fight.

"Don't stay dere just looking, Tahno, ah need your help!" the lad shouted at the waterbender.

"We must go for your father! He will know what to do after all he is an experienced earthbender," the boy touched his friend's shoulder and tried to drag him into the shop, which he couldn't do because his hand was brushed off with a shake of said shoulder.

"Shut up and don't be a coward! Have some guts and give some use to dese fancy classes your father is paying for to beat dese thugs!" the earthbender moved his feet and a block of the ground hit one of the henchmen "Besides, my parents aren't at home," he whispered to his friend.

_Damn you Ming! Ah just wanted to end it with no causalities but no, you want to play the hero._ Tahno broke the broomstick and yelled to collect some courage.

One of the benefits of living in the Foggy Swamp was that there was water everywhere, as a town build around a tree the subsoil had plenty of the vital liquid. The first time he had discovered his bending it was thanks to a puddle of water so this time he was going to take advantage of having an earthbender at his side.

"Hey Ming, can you open a hole in the ground? Ah need some fresh water to beat dem," Tahno took the same stand of his teacher when he fought the student that wanted advanced classes, a month in Mowanza's school wasn't something that could be taken in vain.

The earthbender grinned and with a rigid movement of the feet, the ground opened for his friend creating a puddle connected to the subsoil "Ah knew dat you only needed some encouragement"

Around that time, more men were gathering in the street and none of them seemed to be friendly, during the chat of the boys the henchmen who wasn't hit by Ming had gone for his allies. Many of them had chains and blunt weapons along a dangerous look in the eyes.

Tahno breathed and tried to be calm, according to his teacher the emotions of a waterbender were something they must control, and being nervous or scared wasn't going to help at all. He mentally cursed his friend but thanked him silently through a swift movement of his hand to take some water from the puddle and bring it near himself in the shape of a blob.

"But what do we have here if not a pair of brats trying to play with adults believing to be strong," said a tall man with Earth Kingdom features, he seemed to be the leader of that group and surely had a higher position than the man who was bleeding thanks to Ming inside the gang.

"Benders of not, you are going to taste some of the wrath of my men!" he shouted along his minions. In total they were 10 men, three with chains and the others had construction tubes.

"Go and get dese damn brats!" shouted the man while pointing at them, his henchmen were now running to the younger benders and shouting like crazies.

Whit a fluid movement of the hands, Tahno transformed the blob of water into a whip that sent two men flying blackguards; they clashed with another one and were now in the floor stunned. Meanwhile, Ming had moved his feet and four earth columns launched five of the men knocking them to the wall. One of them ran to the open side of the waterbender, but he was stopped by an ice wall that the boy formed with the water of the soil.

The leader of these men started to clap his hands and smiled "Quite a good show for a pair of brats, but if you thought that you were the only ones to have two or two tricks up the sleeve you were wrong," the man moves his legs, as if he were straddling a horse and pushed his hands forwards.

Quickly, the feet of Ming felt something familiar, something that he could do since the day he was born. The movement of the earth was something that couldn't pass unnoticed by the young earthbender and now he had only a little of time to do something against it.

He pulled Tahno by the neck of his shirt and with a movement of his feet; they were now away in an earth slide. If his reaction were a second slower, they surely might be in a wall pressed by an earth block. Said block clashed against the wall of the drugstore and broke it alongside with part of the roof.

When the children stopped to move, some neighbours started to seem interested, until this moment almost all of them had opted for closing their windows and running away with their carts. But unknown to everybody right now an old woman had already called the police and was a matter of minutes for them to arrive... right?

"Oh man! Ma father is gonna kill me!" the lad put his hands in his head and looked desperate "What am ah gonna do?" he turned to see his friend.

"Why do you ask me, ah was just going to let dem rob dat old man but no, you wanted to meddle in something dat wasn't your problem," the waterbender shouted but was thinking in something that could help them.

By this moment, the man was sliding in the ground and covering his fists with rocks.

"Ah want to try something new, Ming so cover me," the waterbender asked his friend and he created a wall of rocks around them.

After a month practicing in the school and a little at home, Tahno had come to the conclusion that his best asset was change the state of water, he could easily change between any physical state but he had to pass for the one in the middle. Which means that to transform vapour into ice he had to transform it into liquid and then into ice, and vice versa.

Things like transforming vapour into ice was a trick he had understood merely by watching the fight between his teacher and the student some hours ago, and he was grateful with Iwatake right now for dragging him at that time.

He breathed and with a round movement of his hands, the water from the puddle was now racing against the man. The liquid reached him and was transformed into vapour when reaching his head, the man was confused and Tahno took the opportunity to do his trick: turn the mist into ice.

The man's head was now covered by ice and he couldn't breath, the boy couldn't save some air inside of the icicle. It was in that precise instant that some corps of the Metalbending Police Force was arriving to the area and was now arresting the men who were unconscious along his leader. One of them went close to the children and asked them if they were in conditions of answering some questions. They answered with the truth, from the old man who was being robbed to the way in how Tahno stopped the leader.

The waterbender didn't wanted to catch the attention of these men, he knew most of them back from when his father was the Chief and surely they could start some rumours about this event and he didn't wanted to gain the wrath of his father for something that he could be beaten up for.

As if the fight and interrogatory weren't enough, Mr Lau and his wife were now arriving to their home in a Satomobile. Of course the mother of Ming almost fainted thinking the worse about her son but after noticing that he was alright she proceeded to scold him. Ming's father was now talking with the policemen for the details.

"What did ah do to have such a stupid son!" said Mr Lau after slapping his son's head "You could've been hurt right now it you were alone!"

After a lecture of how important is to call the police before doing anything the Lau's along Tahno started to clean the mess of these ruffians, and after inviting him to dinner it was stated that the shop had to close for some days which was a bad notice for the boy.

"Ah am sorry Tahno, but we can't afford a worker until we repair the place but after it we gladly will accept you back, if you want it I can recommend you with a friend of mine," offered Mr Lau for he knew the reason of the waterbender to be working.

"Ah will truly thank you Mr Lau but don't feel obliged," the boy was going to decline the offer, although it was Ming's fault he didn't felt as if it was up to the Laus to gave him another job.

"There is no problem at all, come tomorrow in the morning before your practices and ah will have news about it," his boss was a good person, he could seem serious and angry most of the time, but he liked to keep his word.

"Then ah'll be here tomorrow," the boy entered to the shop to take his things back and go home.

He didn't wanted to go there, surely his father was going to scold him for being involved in the fight, like asking him if that was the reason of him to go to the school of master Mowanza. He really liked to be there, a place where he could learn new things and even if the people there wasn't the best to pass the time with, he had grown to accept most of them.

Absentmindedly, Tahno started to walk aimlessly in the streets of the town, not noticing that he was heading to the Red Light District.

* * *

Well, it is the third chapter and I am really sorry if it was lame or stupid, so any question or complaint please write it to me in a review and I will change it.

The fourth chapter will ─hopefully─ be ready for this Sunday if somebody wants to read it, I have already the start but I could change it so is kinda in cero progress.

Myth and Legend Ride with You ~

Posted: 11/13/2013


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